Bruce Knotts was able to attend the Helsinki +50 Conference in Finland. For his explanation and impressions, read more.
I was invited together with another lucky person to attend the Helsinki +50 Conference in Finland by Ahti Tolvanen. I have known Ahti for many years. He’s a UU, and I first met him at a UU conference in Thunder Bay in Canada. Ahti is a duel national Canadian and a citizen of Finland.
Fifty years ago, there was a conference in Finland which resulted in the Helsinki Declaration, also called the Helsinki Final Act. This was a Declaration on Principles Guiding Relations between Participating States.
- Sovereign equality, respect for the right inherent in sovereignty
- Refraining from the threat and use of force
- Inviolability of frontiers
- Territorial integrity of states
- Peaceful settlement of disputes
- Non-intervention in internal affairs
- Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief
- Equal rights and self-determination of peoples
- Co-operation among States
- Fulfillment in good faith of obligations under international law
Clearly the 2025 Helsinki +50 conference took place due to the gross violation of the Helsinki Final Act of 50 years ago.
I began my conference at Finlandia Hall with a meeting on violation of human rights defenders in Belarus. The principal speaker was Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who won the Belarusian presidential election in August 2020. However, the government declared that Alexander Lukashenko won the election with 80% of the vote. The result was hotly disputed with massive demonstrations and strong international condemnation, but Lukashenko remains president. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya remains a human rights champion.
The President of Finland and his Foreign Minister spoke at the conference. There were also speeches via Zoom from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Clearly the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a gross violation of the Helsinki Final Act and that was the central theme of the conference.
I spoke at Helsinki University and at a Helsinki University Library. Here’s what I said:
I delivered messages of peace, nonviolence, an end to war, and a little history. My messages about peace discussed active wars in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza. I also talked about climate change and the need to abolish nuclear weapons.
The ongoing civil war in Sudan is fueled by external actors providing support to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a key backer of the RSF, while Egypt and other regional powers have been identified as supporting the SAF. Additionally, several other countries, including China, Iran, and Russia, have been implicated in supplying arms to one or both sides of the conflict.